Beyond Smallville: Night of the Bat
by gardy77
Summary: This story is an alternative Batgirl origin story. Characters from Smallville, Gotham, Justice League, will appear as well as some new characters. This takes place after Bruce Wayne creates the Batman persona and Chief Jim Gordon reveals the existence of his daughter. Barbara learns of the ways of the mysterious Batman and becomes one of Bruce's famous sidekicks. Smallville Seas 12
1. Chapter 1: Night of the Bat

**Night of the Bat**

 _Alternative Batgirl origin story_

West Town Gotham City Condo Complex

A young girl about sixteen years old walks along a grimy alley behind a medium income housing project. She is about five foot seven with bright reddish blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She has a slim figure and carries two black sports gym bags in either hand.

 _I know that this is the address that Mrs. Keane gave me_. She muses silently. _What apartment number was it again?_ She fiddles with her black SMART phone, as she drapes one bag over the other _. Oh yeah, here it is: Chief James Gordon. So my dad is the Police Chief?_ She wonders _. I hope that he has money!_

The young woman nervously glances around, instinctively checking the shadows for movement. It's nearly ten PM, and all underage kids had to be off of the streets by 10:30 for curfew. The curfew was put in place for good reason. Gotham City was a cesspool. In recent memory the Gotham Police Department had been making progress in fighting crime, but that was due mostly to the mysterious Batman. She considered, as she buzzed the entry button at the condo's outer fence.

The Batman was so cool, the tired girl's thoughts drifted. I wish that I could meet him. No answer. Where is this guy? She questioned sourly. I know that Mrs. Keane called him otherwise she wouldn't have sent me out here. She buzzed the door again. Nothing. I'll have to dig out the phone number that she gave me. She set down the bags and leaned against the red brick wall at the condo's rear entrance.

She punched up the number on her phone. It rang and rang. "Why the hell doesn't he pick up?" She complained aloud. She'd heard some movement high above her. As the phone continued to ring, she looked up. Her gaze followed the four black metal fire escapes that adorned the weather beaten building. She hadn't seen anyone around. "Maybe it was just rats, cats, or bats!" She joked aloud in an attempt to stave off her mounting fears. Finally, the phone voice recorder kicked in.

"Chief Gordon? This is your daughter, Barbara. Mrs. Keane said that I should contact you. I assume that she already told you about me. Anyway, I'm in the alley behind your condo. Curfew's coming. I need to get off of the streets. This is not the greatest part of town you know."

As if on cue, four shadowy figures seemed to appear out of nowhere. They edged closer to the unsuspecting girl. Two came at her directly, while two more encircled her. "Ooh! Look what we have here! Boys! We have a new plaything!" A scruffy looking guy with olive skin and a shabby goatee said.

"Alright! I thought that this was going to be a boring night!" A second rough looking dark skinned thug said. "Hey Chica! Don't you know where you are? Anything that comes into our turf, we own!" A third creepy looking guy added. The forth goon was silent as he closed in on Barbara.

"Guys, I don't have time for this!" Barbara snapped bravely as she dropped her gym bags and pocketed her phone. "Oh excuse us, Chickie! Fine! What've you got?" The first thug stepped nearer. "In our town you have to pay. We take credit cards, cash, phones, dope, and whatever you got. If you got nothing, we take your ass!" The creepy kids laughed raucously.

The closest goon lunged for Barbara. She easily sidestepped him and whirled away into the middle of the alley where any passersby could see her. Barbara ducked as the next thug tried to grab her from behind. She was aware of him, and used a classic judo move to throw him over her shoulder and onto his back. He landed with a thud. There was a brief moment of silence as the stunned boys were caught off guard.

"Ooh! I like this one! She's got spirit!" The dark skinned boy commented as he jumped at Barbara from the side over his buddy. He went too high and Barbara slid down onto her knees tearing holes into her jeans and leg whipped him as he landed, taking out his stance by the shins. He'd fallen face first into the other goon that was just sitting up. Barbara immediately leapt back up into a fighting stance.

The last two gangsters tried to attack Barbara at the same time. One managed to get a firm hold on one of her shoulders. He worked his way behind her. Barbara mule kicked him in the groin. He crumpled to the ground in pain. The injured goon howled as he ripped part of Barbara's white t-shirt and held it in one hand. With her arms now free, she punched the last assailant right in the nose, breaking it.

He screeched as blood poured from his nostrils and into his mouth and down his chin. Immediately Barbara stepped out of his reach and counter attacked with a snap kick to his stomach. He doubled over and fell before her. All four kids were now down and moaning. Her safety wouldn't last for long though, because she still had no place to go, and she still had to gather her things. "Thanks daddy!" She said sourly. Barbara backed away from the groaning creeps.

Something silently landed behind her. "Gah!" Young Barbara shrieked as she whirled, and came face to face with The Batman. "Now you show up?" She berated the tall dark figure. "Get your stuff." Batman's synthesized voice ordered the teen. Batman stood stoically like a statue staring at the squirming thugs. One light skinned assailant managed to get to his knees. Batman immediately kicked him in the face. He fell backwards, holding his cheek in pain.

Barbara had jogged over to where her luggage and cell phone were. She gathered her things and glanced over at the Batman. "Your father is on an unavoidable stakeout. Follow me." Batman's gruff deep artificial voice boomed. "Thanks anyway." Barbara began. "So you're friends with my dad?" Batman dutifully ignored her. Barbara jogged behind Batman and headed towards her father's condo.

Suddenly, just below the fire escape's lowest ladder, Batman came to a halt. Barbara nearly ran into his broad back. With lightning speed, Batman fired a grappler hook upward, that clanked onto the fourth floor fire escape. It slid back and wrapped itself around the fire escape railing. The Dark Knight grabbed Barbara at her waist, and pressed a button on the grappler hook base.

Instantly, the super powered bat grappler recoiled and the two of them were hauled straight up and onto the fourth floor landing. "Whoa! That is so cool!" Barbara praised as Batman set her down gently amidst her luggage. Without a word, Batman untangled the grappler and popped out a corner of the window in the fire exit door, using some type of glass cutting knife. He unlatched the door handle, and shuffled into the fourth floor corridor, young Barbara at his heel, bearing her gym bags. The thugs were none the wiser.

"Jim's condo is the third door on the right. Go." Batman informed her. "I assume he gave you the security code?" He questioned. "Not so much. No problem though, I can hack into it." Barbara volunteered as she walked over to her estranged father's door. "He'll be mad." Batman commented as he followed her. "He'll get over it." She added sourly. Batman quickly checked the dark hallway for any lowlife.

Within seconds, she had hacked the security code and the door opened. Batman's eyes widened, though Barbara couldn't see that beneath the mask. "Thanks, Batman. I'd invite you in, but that would be improper." She flirted. "Not a problem." Batman growled. Barbara carried her luggage into the condo, which luckily for her, was good sized. It had to be one of the more expensive condo apartments in the area, she observed. Batman gave the condo a quick once over and turned his back on the tough teen.

"Reset Jim's security code and lock the door." Batman directed without turning to face her. "I'm on it!" Barbara said as she tagged along behind Batman, who was heading for the door. "Thanks again. Can I call you Bats?" The precocious high schooler teased. "Please don't" Batman grumbled. "Fair enough." Barbara agreed as she tailed him out into the hallway. "Will I see you again?" She asked hopefully.

"Probably." Batman said simply. "Thanks." Barbara repeated, and Batman disappeared into the darkness. She heard him clatter onto the fire escape, and then silence. Barbara returned to her dad's condo, reset his security lock, and flopped onto the well-worn brown leather couch in the apartment's largest room. She draped her legs over one arm of the sofa, and sighed deeply, quickly falling asleep.

Over an hour later, Chief James Gordon pressed the access code on his condo's door. He was greeted by the sound of light snoring. Jim hustled over to the couch, and saw the teenage girl snoozing peacefully. "My God! She looks just like my ex when she was in college." He said aloud, keeping the volume on his voice to a minimum. "She's had a rough night." A tall shadowy figure said from behind them. "A bunch of gangbangers tried to assault her. Barbara got the best of them. I let her in your condo."

"Thanks, Batman." Jim Gordon said, though it somehow seemed inadequate. Jim was so used to thanking Batman for everything that it was a bit anticlimactic. They left Barbara in silence, locked the condo, and headed out to the fire escape. Meeting the Batman here had become nearly a nightly ritual. Chief Gordon had come to depend on the Batman as he would any other crime-fighting detective partner.

"I was only made aware of Barbara's existence a few years ago." James began to explain. "You don't owe me an explanation, Jim." Bruce responded. "I was too wild in college. I let my guard down a few times. I got caught up in the adrenaline flow. I studied hard and partied hard." Chief Gordon admitted wistfully. Batman listened, though he had enough of his own problems to deal with.

"It happens." Bruce remarked, devoid of any emotion. "Partying really wasn't my thing. I was too angry, driven, and always fighting." Batman admitted. This persona was exactly the opposite of his Bruce Wayne, billionaire party boy image. Batman had developed and honed his duplicity over the last few years to perfection. Jim leaned over the edge of the fire escape railing.

"My ex-girlfriend, Barbara's biological mother, is now getting married. She didn't want to take on the additional responsibility for Barbara, but I talked her into it, and sent her some money for support. My daughter is now sixteen. She'll be fully grown soon. Barbara has had it hard, but it could've been much worse for her. My ex took reasonably good care of her. As they got older, they started fighting. I think that their personalities are on the one hand too similar, and on the other they disagree on everything."

James continued to bend the Batman's ear. "Barbara is fiercely independent. We cut her some slack with the attitude, because she's very smart, and aces most of her exams in school." Bruce noted the similarities to his own life. He was basically a genius, and found school boring, and frequently acted out. "You sound very proud of her, already Jim." Batman remarked sincerely. "I am, Batman, yet I don't really know her."

Batman was getting tired. He'd gone without sleep for twenty four hours again. Alfred would certainly give him a piece of his mind. The rest of the conversation with Jim could wait for another time. "Now you have the chance to get to know your daughter, Jim, make the most of it. I'll get going now. Can you pay for the damage to the fire escape door?" The Dark Knight joked, though Jim Gordon had missed that completely. "Sure. No problem, Batman, and thanks again." James realized that he was talking to himself.

"I hate it when he does that." Chief Gordon grumbled aloud. Below him, a winged, dark shadow dropped silently to the ground. Bruce had hidden the Batmobile behind an abandoned storefront a few blocks away. He leapt into it as the cockpit shielded window assembly retracted, and then resettled in place. The twin turbine engine roared to life, as Batman sped off into the night.

Jim headed back into his condo, showered, and fixed some beef soup. He cooked enough for two. Barbara would eventually wake up, and would probably be hungry, James surmised. He considered waking the teen up, but the better decision was to let her sleep. They could always reheat the soup later. Jim took a seat across from the snoozing girl, pausing a moment to admire and store her petite features in his mind. Just like any police officer, he could never know if he would make it back home alive the next day. This thought unsettled Jim further. What would Barbara do if he never came back again?


	2. Chapter 2: Night of the Bat 2

**Night of the Bat** Pt 2

The lightning crackled across the sky and soon after came the rolling thunder. A young girl around seven years old shudders as the storm rumbled on. She watches the frequent displays of lightning from the relative safety of a recently renovated condo apartment window. She covers up with a well-worn black blanket. The condo's heat is on, but the girl shivers from fright.

"Barbara?" A middle aged female voice calls out. "What are you still doing up? You know that you have an early gymnastics practice tomorrow morning." The girl is momentarily silent as the next boom of thunder is heard. "Okay Momma. I'll try and get to sleep, but the storm is loud." She replies from beneath the blanket. "You could always put your headphones on, honey." Barbara's mother enters her daughter's bedroom. "I'll do that, momma." Young Barbara tries to sound brave.

Debra Keane was the opposite of her wild, angry, and borderline insane sister, Barbara Keane. Debra had always been the straight-laced daughter, responsible, intelligent, conservative, and driven. Barbara Keane hadn't always been wild or psychotic, Debra thought wistfully. In fact, young Barbara was named for her party girl aunt. Over the years, the elder Barbara had become reckless and irresponsible.

Enter James Gordon, Debra thought angrily. She and Jim had gone to the same college, and even taken a few classes together. Eventually, they got to know each other better, and grew closer. Jim was popular and a known campus party boy. Debra hadn't been able to resist his advances. She had been more of a bookworm, a law major. Over time Debra would become a reasonably good lawyer.

Debra and Jim had dated for about a year before she'd become pregnant. Their relationship had deteriorated shortly after that, and they'd broken up well before Barbara was born. Debra wanted to finish her schooling, after making such a huge financial investment in her future. The risk was too high, Debra estimated, and she'd decided to let Jim go, and raise Barbara herself.

Debra hadn't told Jim about Barbara until the youngster was almost thirteen years old. It was then that she and her daughter had started fighting, the turbulent teens, she'd called it. Finally Debra had met a man that she wanted to marry, Matt Simons, a fellow lawyer, and an old fashioned conservative. Matt knew of young Barbara's existence, but hadn't really wanted to deal with the teen. He wanted to start a family of his own, and had never truly accepted Barbara, and her rebellious attitude.

Debra tried to keep young Barbara busy, figuring that if the child had too much time on her hands, she would continuously get into trouble. Debra had paid for Barbara's primary schooling and had registered the teen in a number of gymnastics, martial arts, and legal classes, hoping that the smart girl would follow in her footsteps and become a lawyer. That hadn't clicked with Barbara yet, and Debra's fiancée ran out of patience. Fearing that she'd lose him, Debra decided to ship Barbara over to Jim.

It was time for Jim to take responsibility for Barbara, in Debra's view. She'd done the best that she could raising the energetic teen, and with a heavy heart had finally given up. She and Matt would be married soon, and she would start a new life, as would Barbara. The teen had finally begun to settle down as she reached her mid-teens. Barbara was still tough and independent, but had matured slightly.

Jim Gordon had been seeing Leslie Tompkins, a respected psychologist and criminal profiler. It was Debra's hope that Jim and Leslie could control and guide Barbara into the future, especially if they one day married. There was no doubt that the spirited young Barbara would be a challenge to rear. Jim was always busy and always on call. though. Gotham was a cesspool, and was rife with corruption, from the top down. The mysterious Batman had only recently appeared, and had helped clean up the mess.

Barbara awoke as her dad's alarm clock buzzed. It was six o'clock in the morning. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the good-sized condo near downtown Gotham. She stretched and yawned, and grumbled as some of her muscles ached from yesterday's fight. Barbara was slightly disoriented, waking up in a strange environment, and couldn't recall how she'd gotten into the condo and fallen asleep.

"Good morning sleepyhead." A female voice said sweetly from the open floor plan's kitchen. Barbara's eyes snapped open. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded angrily. "Well, you're just like your father, cranky in the morning until he's had his coffee." The woman grinned as she handed Barbara a steaming cup of black coffee. "Do you take sugar?" She inquired as Barbara eyed her suspiciously.

"Yeah, two spoons full of sugar, thanks." Barbara stretched again and padded along the hardwood floors towards the bathroom, except she hadn't paid attention as to where it was. "Over there, the second door on the left." The woman gestured. Barbara placed the coffee on a small minibar near the corner of the front room. After she'd left the bathroom, Barbara climbed onto the seat next to the bar.

She took a full sniff of the coffee and quietly leaned on the corner of the bar. "So you're dad's woman?" Barbara asked curtly, as she glanced at the pleasant thirtysomething woman. "Uh, yeah, I'm your father's girlfriend, Dr. Leslie Tompkins." She replied and sat behind the bar across from Barbara, a large steaming coffee cup in her hand. "I suppose you have dozens of questions?" Leslie fished.

"I dunno, maybe." Barbara answered noncommittally. "I guess it's none of my business who my dad is seeing, I only met him a few times over the last three years. It's not as if he talks much about anything." Leslie laughed. "That's definitely your dad. I have to pry any information out of him. I can say that your dad is a hardworking man who is trying to make things better for the people of Gotham."

"So you're a shrink?" Barbara yawned and took another sip of her coffee. "I prefer clinical psychiatrist and criminal profiler." Leslie corrected. This seemed to peak Barbara's interest ever so slightly. She looked up from her coffee long enough to assess Leslie's face. She seemed nice, clean cut, pretty, smart, and patient, Barbara assumed. She looked to be in good shape and healthy.

"So my mom and her fiancé don't really want me around." Barbara began. "She dumped me off on my dad, and told me to move to Gotham. She said that it was time for my dad to take more responsibility for me. I guess that we're stuck with each other. Sorry. I guess I was too much of a pain in the ass to my mom and her fiancé." Leslie felt a tug on her heart. Barbara would likely be her main focus from now on, even though Jim Gordon hadn't proposed to her. They rarely ever talked about marriage. "I see. We will just have to make the best of the situation." Leslie reassured the disoriented teen. "Jim and I actually have some minimal experience dealing with troublesome teen girls." She quipped.

"Oh? How did that work out?" Barbara asked with curiosity. "Not too well to be honest with you. Obviously, Jim and I have very little parental style experience. That doesn't mean that we can't keep trying." Leslie replied. "How did you sleep last night?" She asked pleasantly. "You know, I slept pretty well. I guess that I was tired, what with the fight and all." Barbara admitted.

"Yes. Let's talk about that fight." Leslie goaded. Barbara related the story, though the end of the night still seemed fuzzy to her. "I see. That sounds like a typical local delinquent gang." Leslie analyzed, though she was trying not to sound like a psychiatrist and criminal profiler. "You know what was weird though?" Barbara said with some hesitation. "The Batman stepped in and fought for me, although I think he just scared them off. I can hold my own in a fight, but I was probably tired and caught off guard."

"The Batman?" Leslie echoed. "You've seen him?" She was skeptical. "Yeah, I'd seen him, and not only that, I'm pretty sure that he helped me get upstairs here to dad's condo." Leslie gawked at her. "The Batman knows where Jim lives, and that you were his daughter? That is weird." Leslie agreed. "Tell me about it! You know what though? I thought that the Batman was so cool!" The caffeine started kicking in as Barbara's big blue eyes widened, and her voice rose ever so slightly. She was excited.

Leslie didn't know what to make of the connection between Jim and the Batman. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but then that seemed rather unlikely, she mused. "Anyway, your dad asked me to come over and help you get settled. He said that he was sorry that he couldn't wait around for you to wake up. He had to be at work by 5 AM." Leslie explained. "Oh? Cool. No big thing. I'm used to getting myself in gear every morning. You know, Doc, I have trouble sleeping at night." Barbara babbled, sounding more like a typical teenage girl. "Maybe you can cut down on your caffeine?" Leslie joked.

Barbara nodded as she slurped down the last of her coffee. "I brought some stuff with me, but mom said that she was having more stuff delivered today, like my laptop, IPOD, and remaining homework. I still have to take a couple of tests remotely to pass to my senior year." The teen spoke even more quickly. "Pass to your senior year?" Leslie parroted. "Yup, I have enough good accumulated credits to graduate this fall from whatever high school dad sends me to. So I can graduate at 17 and go on to college."

Leslie was very impressed with Barbara, and she reminded her a bit of their friend, young Bruce Wayne. "First off, you'll need to take a shower." Dr. Tompkins teased. "I reek, don't I?" Barbara playfully sniffed her armpits. "Just a bit." Leslie snickered. Luckily the two of them had hit it off. After her shower, Barbara ate and followed Leslie out into the neighborhood.

"Dude, this place is a wreck." Barbara commented. Leslie let her get away with calling her 'dude' for now. "Yeah I agree. This neighborhood is actually on the upswing though compared to many other parts of Gotham." Dr. Tompkins remarked. "Have you ever been here before?" Barbara nodded. "A few years ago mom brought me here to the Planetarium, Museums, and Zoos, as well as to Gotham Observatory during the last solar eclipse. That was way cool." Barbara said.

"Do you know what subject you're thinking about majoring with in college?" Leslie asked. "I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. I kind of want to get involved with dad's work. It seems pretty cool saving people and protecting them from criminals." Barbara's keen eyes took in every detail of the city.

Leslie gulped, knowing just what kind of a mess Gotham was in. On the other hand, it was good that Barbara was taking an interest in her dad. "You know that there are a lot of options in the Criminal Justice sector like Lawyers, Assistant Prosecutors, Court Appointees, Legal Secretaries, Forensics, or Legal Administrative jobs." Leslie pointed out. "Yup, I had been considering some of those careers, but I don't know if I just want to sit behind a desk and push papers and computer reports." Barbara admitted sending a chill down Leslie's spine. "I think that I like to be where the action is."

"I mean look at the Batman and my dad, and Sergeant Bullock. They are out there in the streets making a difference every day." Barbara stated excitedly as they passed a grungy looking pool hall. "Were you considering becoming a police officer?" Leslie asked as an involuntary shudder took over her body. "I dunno, maybe. Like I said, I'm still kicking it around." Barbara said as a weird feeling crept into her mind. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering her.

A few shadows moved along the alleyway parallel to where the girls were walking. "Uh, Miss Tompkins, I think that we ought to move along." Barbara urged as one of the shadows pursuing them became clearer. "Why? Are you in a hurry?" Leslie fished. By then two more shadowy figures flanked them. "Run!" Barbara screamed as Leslie, fortunately, aware of the possibilities of a sharp encounter, didn't question the younger girl's warning. It was too late. Four more creeps emerged in front of them, blocking their way. There were now a total of six thugs. "Can you fight?" Barbara asked warily.

"I'm much better at running." Leslie spoke quickly, as she whipped out her SMART phone and dialed up 911. Barbara knew that it would take too long for help to arrive, after a myriad of largely irrelevant questions would be raised by the 911 operator. The nearest assailant lunged for Leslie's phone. Luckily she spun away from him long enough for the 911 operative to get online. "We're at Manheim and 16th street! Under assault! Send squad cars!" Leslie barked the orders into the cell phone.

Meanwhile, Barbara assumed her attack pose, and deflected another creep that tried to grab them by kicking him straight in the groin. He doubled over in pain, cursing vehemently. Two more attackers circled in on the girls as they stood back to back. Leslie was patiently describing the situation to the 911 operator. Barbara recalled her recent martial arts training, when being assailed by more than one opponent use as few moves as possible to conserve your strength. She quickly went low, kicking the nearest goon's feet out from under him, and immediately sprung back up to elbow the next creep in the nose, it broke with a sickening crack, spewing blood all over the thug's gray hoodie.

Barbara spun forward, taking the initiative, and threw her entire five foot five frame at the next two attackers, catching them by surprise. They lost their balance and fell awkwardly in opposite directions, clearing a path for the girls to flee through. Barbara landed on one knee and popped up, doubling back to grab Leslie by her jacket sleeve, physically dragging her past the attackers. The girls ran as fast as they could towards a more populated main street, leaving the confused and disorganized thugs behind.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Leslie asked, finally getting off the phone to the 911 rep. "Two years of martial arts training at Master Wang's Academy in Bridgeview." Barbara answered, adding: "And I went to an all-girls private school. You were tough, or you got taken advantage of." She informed Leslie. "I'm impressed! Does Jim know about all that?" Barbara shrugged. "Mom didn't tell me."


	3. Chapter 3: Night of the Bat 3

**Night of the Bat part 3**

Once the girls were safe from the gangbangers, Leslie took a breath and leaned on a bridge railing above the Mackenzie Expressway **.** "Does this type of thing happen often in Gotham City?" Barbara whined. "It happens more often than any of us would like, yes." Leslie replied. "I'd better sign up for my next level in martial arts training as soon as possible." Barbara remarked. "Or I won't last long." She added.

"You'll get no argument from me." Leslie said as she finally caught her breath. "Actually, the reason that I called for you today, aside from your father's urging, is to let you know that we're expected to visit our friend, Bruce Wayne, tonight for dinner. Jim and Bruce have been friends for many years. I thought that you might like to go shopping with me." Leslie stated as she began walking again.

"Shopping?" Barbara cast a puzzled glance at her. Leslie smirked. "Unless of course that's too girlie for you." She teased. "No. Shopping is fine. I have to warn you that I lack any amount of patience." Barbara hinted. "I do like a challenge." Leslie countered. "Let's go then." They sped up their pace, in a hurry to leave the rotting neighborhood behind them. Out of habit, Barbara glanced back over her shoulder to make certain that the gangbangers weren't following them.

 _Scene switches to Gotham City Police Department, Detective division_ :

"Harvey, I have to head over to Mr. Wayne's tonight. Can you make sure that my shift is at least partially covered?" Jim Gordon requested, though Detective Harvey Bullock was his subordinate. "Sure, Chief. I'll stay over a bit, and let Detective Wasser come in early. He's been hounding me for overtime." Bullock responded. "As usual, I'll be on call, in case of emergencies." Jim sighed loudly. "As if I could ever get a moment's peace…" Jim and Harvey stopped in at the Current Crimes Desk for their daily assignment check. "Same stuff different day." Harvey grumbled as he looked over the crime report assignments.

"Let's see…" Jim whipped out his reading glasses, noting that since nearing forty, his eyesight had grown weaker, though it was still well within the department parameters. "Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow, and the like are all still safely locked up in Arkham Asylum." Harvey flipped the page of the printout to face him. "Rupert Thorne, Max Schell, and the Cormandi Crime Family are all awaiting trial." Bullock continued to read. "Low level gang activity, assaults, vice, grand theft, and my favorite, lewd and lascivious behavior. That sounds like a slow night, Chief." Gordon nodded. "Let's hope so, Harv."

Behind the gray and decaying walls of Arkham Asylum, a new counselor takes up her position at the head of the conference room table. Encircled around the rusting and deteriorating table sat the department heads and senior staff. "Counselor Quinn, welcome to Arkham." A slow and methodical voice boomed over the colleagues. "Thanks, Doctor Strange." The pleasant twentysomething blonde haired woman nodded towards the rest of the staff. "I'll do my very best to counsel the prisoners."

"You realize that these are no ordinary prisoners, right Dr. Quinn? Hugo Strange reminded her. "Surely, Dr. Strange. I need a new challenge in my life." Quinn admitted. "After all, I achieved a degree from San Francisco University. Counseling students was fun. I liked helping them, but it wasn't financially rewarding enough." Her big blue eyes narrowed as she spoke. "I see." Dr. Strange grinned broadly.

"I believe that you will work out just fine here at Arkham, Dr. Quinn." Dr. Strange complimented her. "You may be just what the doctor ordered." He smirked at his own lame pun. "Sadly, we will have to cut staffing due to the underwhelming payment we received from Gotham City politicians." Everyone in the room except Harlene Quinn groaned and grumbled. "That's the reality of the situation, I'm afraid." He concluded. "Don't worry we'll make other arrangements for staff outsourcing. Dr. Quinn, would you like a tour of the facility?" He offered. "That would be bonkers, Dr. Strange!" Harley said excitedly.

Later that evening, Barbara, and Jim Gordon piled into Dr. Tompkins' car and headed out to Stately Wayne Manor. They arrived at the foreboding black cast iron gates at promptly seven o'clock. The 'Wayne' name was highly visible atop the gates. Barbara whistled at the magnitude of the Wayne Estate that she could see from the car's back seat. "Geez! Who lives here, the governor?" She wisecracked.

Leslie chuckled as Jim hopped out of the car and hustled to the gate's security mechanism. Though the gates had been added over sixty years ago by Thomas Wayne, they appeared to have been freshly painted and lacquered in gloss black. Alongside the gate assembly were two state of the art security devices. One included facial recognition software and the other was non-electrical, and was based on an ancient, complex, mechanical lock. Both had to be disarmed to allow anyone to pass through.

"Wow! Paranoid much?" Barbara remarked as she joined her father at the edge of the gate. Jim cleared his throat. "Gordon, James." He announced clearly and distinctly. The voice recognition system kicked in and beeped its approval. "You have to love the wealthy." Jim commented sarcastically to Barbara.

"Good evening, sir." An elderly man's voice replied from the small speaker located above the electrical device. "Hi Alfred, Barbara, Leslie and I have come for dinner on Bruce's request." Jim said formally, mostly to impress Barbara. The truth be told, Alfred and Bruce had been friends of Jim and Leslie for many years. "Very good sir, I have the dinner in process. Please proceed to the manor." Alfred okayed.

The gates swung open, and Barbara and Jim climbed back into the car. The trip from the main gate to the building would likely take quite a few minutes. The access road was set at a slight incline and twisted into several 'S' formations surrounding the varying gardens and foliage of Wayne Manor. They eventually pulled up onto a sophisticatedly designed brick driveway.

The turnaround encircled a large stone fountain which was nearly twenty five feet high. The water spewed a good six feet above that into the air, and the spray dotted the pavement before them. There were muted lights at the fountain's base. The statuary at the fountain's center resembled an ancient Greek god holding a lightning bolt. The smaller statuary included a number of bizarre, gothic style fantastical creatures. Barbara observed that the doorway to the mansion had been recently remodeled.

Barbara noted that they had ascended onto a type of hilltop. The estate's view in the early twilight was spectacular, but it seemed dark and mysterious to her. Some of the vegetation had overgrown across the emerald colored well-manicured grass of the grounds. The edges of the mansion's façade were well-worn and in need of minor repair. She wondered how a supposed billionaire had let his home deteriorate. She had already researched Mr. Wayne on line. She recalled that he was still fairly young.

Bruce Wayne had the reputation of being a slightly eccentric party boy and womanizer, Barbara mused. She had somehow inherited the ability to memorize subjects in which she was interested in with great detail. Other facts or opinions had completely escaped her, like whom from Hollywood was dating whom, political ideology, statistics from sports games, or geopolitical events. Barbara's mind immediately separated useless information from specific details. This focus enabled her to be a top student at her schools. Her biggest problem was that she was fairly inept socially.

Barbara prided herself on individuality, and never really dated much. A self-acclaimed geek, she spent much of her free time behind a computer console. The attractive teen was more interested in criminology, much to her biological mother's objection. Her biological father, Jim, drove the car into the lengthy garage beside the manor when Alfred allowed the twin garage doors to open.

Barbara glanced into the darkness, and was amazed when the motion activated sensors popped on. The garage was nearly a city block long based on her quick estimate. Four motorcycles and eight cars were reflected in the brightly illuminated overhead LED lighting. Jim pulled the car off to the side and into the guest parking area. Leslie shook her head. The guest area alone could hold four large automobiles.

Barbara gawked, as she slipped out of the backseat and onto the garage floor. "Bugati, Sterling, Lamborghini, BMW, Harley Davidson, Maserati, Rolls, Aston Martin, Porsche, and Cadillac." She correctly named each of the vehicles except two black motorcycles. "Whoa! You sure know your wheels!" Leslie praised. "You're just like Jim!" Barbara was still examining the nearest black cycles. "I don't know these." She reluctantly admitted. "Those are unique." Jim explained. "Bruce calls them Wayne-Nippon."

"So they're custom hybrids?" Barbara brushed the dust off one of the black cycles' square headlights. "That's a fairly accurate description. You could always ask Bruce about them later." Barbara suddenly looked up at him worriedly. "Dad, aren't we a bit underdressed to meet with a billionaire?" She fussed with her long reddish gold hair as she followed Leslie towards the single entrance to the house.

Leslie smirked. That was the first time that young Barbara sounded like a typical girly teenager. "Bruce isn't like that at all." Jim began as the door buzzed, signaling its allowance for them to access the rest of the building. They proceeded into a well-lit corridor. "I would say that Bruce is fairly grounded for a young billionaire." Jim analyzed. "Though Leslie is more familiar with his psyche' than I am."

The trio ascended a short staircase. Another security door whisked open. They were greeted by an elderly man with slightly graying hair. "Welcome to our home." He stated elegantly, immediately glancing at young Barbara. "Alfred! It's good to see you." Leslie said cheerfully as she gave him a quick hug. "Dr. Tompkins. Are you well?" Alfred asked tenderly, but always referred to the guests by their formal titles. "I'm doing great, Alfred, and you?" She inquired sincerely. "Busy as always." He replied.

Barbara had a habit of sizing up any new person she'd met. 'Let's see, Alfred was late middle-aged, and he had a clipped British accent, wore a formal black suit, white shirt, black tie, and his black patent leather shoes were impeccably polished. He looked more like a European business executive than Wayne's manservant'. She assumed that Alfred was paid very well for his unusual servitude.

The trip to the main hall of Stately Wayne Manor was brief, and Barbara's head swayed in every direction, as she took in the details of first the corridor, and then the hall. She noted a few vague artist's paintings, busts, sculptures, and antique light sconces. But the décor within Wayne's manor was surprisingly stark. The Great Hall was still impressive, she noticed, with the twin staircases neatly outlined by antique bannisters and railings, and simple but effective background lighting. She glanced down a secondary corridor leading away from the Great Hall which held displays of antique war armor. Barbara made a mental note to explore that dimly lit hallway later.

Finally, Alfred guided the visitors toward the main dining room, which was located just east of the Great Hall. "Please be seated." Alfred politely directed them to a large table at the room's center. Jim remembered to pull out the expensive looking oak chair for Leslie, and Alfred mirrored the courtesy for Barbara. Jim took his seat in between his daughter and girlfriend. Alfred left without another word.

Mere seconds later, a young man strolled confidently into the dining room. Barbara's big green eyes were glued to him. Bruce Wayne looked to be about eight to ten years her senior and he had short cropped black hair, a square jaw and sported slightly darkened razor stubble above his lip, which carried on throughout the lower half of his face. His eyes were clear and intense, and flipped from face to face.

"Jim, Leslie, it's good to see you. Thanks for coming." Bruce began and Barbara was taken aback by his rough and low voice. "This must be your daughter, Barbara." Bruce said cordially as he approached her chair. Suddenly feeling inept, Barbara clumsily got up from her seat to face Bruce and offered her hand nervously. "Mr. Wayne, it's nice to meet you." She said as her voice cracked.

Jim and Leslie exchanged glances. 'How cute!' Leslie mouthed to her boyfriend. Jim smirked. "You can call me Bruce." The young billionaire flashed her a brilliant smile. Barbara gulped as she felt Bruce's firm grip. Clearly this dude works out, she thought silently. She dared to look Bruce in the eyes and shuddered. He met her eyes without fear and full of confidence. "So I hear you're going to stay in Gotham from now on." Bruce made polite conversation with her as she let go of his hand and sat down.

Bruce turned on his heel and took up a position at the head of the table. Barbara wondered how he could move so fast. "Uh yeah, I'll be living with my dad, and probably going to a local school." She managed to get the response out without stuttering. "You're going into your senior year, right?" Bruce continued the interrogation. "Yes. I'll probably go to Gotham State University after I graduate." She attempted to keep up her end of the conversation, now that she was over the initial shock.

Barbara was taken aback by Wayne's low key outfit. He wore a common looking red Polo shirt, and inelegant black Dockers pants. His shoes were expensive, but not unusual, brown loafers. Barbara quickly estimated the total cost of Wayne's wardrobe to be about two hundred dollars. Far below what she'd expected to see the young billionaire wearing. She did take note of his expensive Rolex watch, though. That particular model would likely cost a mere thousand dollars.

Alfred was now returning with a few trays of food. "We're having chicken noodle soup, garden fresh salad, and ribeye steak with baked potatoes." He announced without preamble, efficiently balancing four bowls of soup on his thick arms, and then placing them before the guests first.

"That sounds great, Alfred." Bruce praised his manservant, startling Barbara. Her father was right. Bruce Wayne seemed exceedingly normal for a billionaire. She began to relax and silently sipped her soup.

After dinner, which was filled with polite mostly mundane conversation, the group retired to the lounge and library area located on the west side of the Great Hall. Bruce once again returned his attention to young Barbara. His gaze was fixed on the attractive teen. Bruce used his detective skills to make assumptions about Barbara. She was wearing a sensible black strapless dress, not too low cut, which extended down her petite frame to a hemline just above her tan knees.

"What are you planning to major in when you attend a university?" Bruce queried. Barbara cleared her throat and announced: "I was planning to major in some form of law enforcement, like criminology, or perhaps even become a low level detective." She stated confidently. Jim was glad that his longtime friend was taking an interest in his daughter, but he was still worried. Exactly why was Bruce asking her so many questions? The police chief was naturally suspicious. Jim and Barbara had barely talked about her future plans yet, so he was a little off put. Leslie on the other hand, was thrilled that Bruce had taken to young Barbara, and that she may follow in her father's footsteps.

She knew that Bruce didn't have many friends, rarely dated except for required public appearances like charity balls, school or community center openings, and didn't really talk much in general. Silently she hoped that Bruce could somehow turn out to be a role model for the intelligent teen. That was yet to be determined, she mused. Leslie to date hadn't found a suitable female role model for Jim's daughter.


End file.
